Being in the healthcare biz, I have been surrounded my whole adult life by people griping about our healthcare system. And just to be clear, I entirely agree. Our system sucks! One of the things that irks me the most is when I hear politicians saying how they will fix the system, only to cave in to the pressures of the powerful special interest groups, especially the insurance, pharmaceutical and legal industries. It is now painfully evident that Obama was all talk. His “change” was to put us 3 trillion dollars further in the hole, without addressing the heart of the problem: those special interest groups. They will continue to rape the system, taking the money we all pay through our taxes and insurance premiums, instead of it going to help people who are sick.
Well, I’m not a politician, and I do have a simple answer to our problem. I have been saying this for years, so now I will make it official by posting it on my blog. The way to fix the healthcare system, IMHO, is to simply copy exactly what other, more successful countries are doing. They have already figured it out. Why re-invent the wheel?
Health Care Systems Compared:
You’ll notice that of these 9 countries, the USA is dead last in life expectancy and infant mortality rate, but tops in most money spent on health care per capita and as a precent of our gross national product. And these are just a few of the measures. Our system sucks in many more ways than these. When you hear people say we have the best health care system in the world, you can rightfully say, “No we don’t.”
So why spend 3 trillion dollars on a proposition that is almost certain to fail? Just copy exactly what any of these other 8 countries are doing! The financial healthcare pie will get smaller, and the pieces will be apportioned differently. Patients would get more of the pie. Insurance companies, drug companies, many lawyers, and many politicians would go hungry. They would have to live off the fat they have stored for way too many years now.
Patients would get more of the pie. Insurance companies, drug companies, many lawyers, and many politicians would go hungry. They would have to live off the fat they have stored for way too many years now.
Your above statement is exactly why they won't do this. Exactly why.
Have a terrific day Ferd. 🙂
hmmm… looks like Canada has lots of room for improvement. And what the chart doesn't show is the long wait time for certain tests and appointments with specialists. But I guess no system is perfect… although Norway looks pretty darn good!
Dawn you should read my reply on Elaines blog, BTW I am Canadian. I think you are listening to a lot of propaganda about our health care system, here if you are truely in need to see a spealist or have test done they have you an appointment within a week, I have been there.. You should really rent the movie sicko made by Michael Moore and get the true facts of what is happening in the USA, also if you go to the emerg at the hospital here and it truly is an emergency they see you right away no waiting I know that for a fact as I have had a heart attach. and BTW as it is free univerasal medical I did not have to go bankrupt.
Like the first commenter said you already answered your own question. Don't even get me going on the health care system, I totally agree it sucs! And I have lost hope of politicians ever fixing it, Democrat or Republican.
Sandee and Elaine~
It's sad, isn't it!? The system is a mess, and no one is going to fix it because all the key players have a financial interest in it, including the politicians of both major parties. Gail said we should elect a person for president who does not have a political association, but a business background instead. Wouldn't it be great if we had a CEO and CFO like big companies do? As long as they're not in someone's pocket!
Dawn and Mary-Anne~
We in the states always criticized your health system, but now we acknowledge that other countries are doing certain things better than we are. I don't know about Michael Moore, though. He raises good issues, of course, but he is such an odd duck that I'd take anything he says with a grain of salt, or two! 😉
What a great post. Thanks for it. Maybe it's because we think if Americans didn't come up with it, it can't be the best way to do it? I am afraid that we can't get anything done because everyone has their hands in the cookie jar. And to think I had such high hopes for this administration…sigh…
Ditto Gail… that our country needs a CEO to run America as a successful business. And ditto Kate regarding nationalism. Our government is way more interested in ego and appearances than embracing humility and learning from another country's program.
Common sense and sheer genius wrapped in one. I don't understand why it's so challenging to figure this out. Ah, yes; stupers (short as you know, for astonishingly stupid persons) are in control. Looks like I'll have to move to Australia.